Indian ship in periphery of Yemen waters, awaits clearance

New Delhi: An Indian Navy vessel, dispatched to evacuate Indians from Yemen, has reached the periphery of the strife-torn country's territorial waters but is awaiting local clearance for moving in as do two Air India planes.

Four more ships, including two warships, are also expected to reach Yemen by April 4 under the 'Operation Raahat' launched by the Indian government, defence sources said here on Tuesday.

There are about 3,500 Indians, most of them nurses, in various provinces of Yemen, including in Sana'a.

An offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra, which was diverted from its anti-piracy operations in Gulf of Aden to rescue the Indians, is just outside the territorial waters of Yemen, waiting for clearance to move in as intense firing has been reported in Aden, the sources added.

As per the plan, INS Sumitra will pick up at least 400 stranded Indians in Aden and take them to Djibouti.

Besides INS Sumitra, two destroyers of the Indian Navy – INS Mumbai and stealth frigate INS Tarkash -- have been sent from Mumbai. Two merchant vessels - Kavaratti and Coral - havealso being despatched.

"The two aircraft remained stationed at Muscat for the second on Tuesday. Besides, awaiting clearance for landing at the Saa'na airport, we are also awaiting for instructions from the our government as well," Air India sources said here.